Trolley-retriever.



C. PALM.

TROLLEY RETBIBVIEB. APPLICATION FILED 8111212.32; 190s.

MlrlmU atm* C. PALM.

TROLLEY EETBIBVBR. APPLICATION *rI'LED snr'r. z2, 190e.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

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TROLLEY BETRIEVBR. APPLICATION P ILED SEPT. 22, 190B.V

Patented N0v.30,19o9;

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CHARLES PALM, 0F AURORA, ILLINOIS.

TROLLEY-RETRIEVER.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NQV, 30, 1909.

Application filed September 22, 1908. Serial No. 454,186.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES PALM, a ci izen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley- Retrievers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the ait to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to trolley retrievers and contemplates the construction of a trolley retriever provided with a clutch held device adapted to lower a trolley to the roof of a car when said trolley jumps the trolley wire.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved trolley .retriever which will automatically lower a trolley from engagement with a trolley wire.

Another object of. the invention .fis to construct an automatic trolley retriever adapted to Vbe mounted on a trolley car and connected with a trolley and so arranged when thus connected and mounted as to be brought .into instantaneous action, when a trolley jumps its wire.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in lthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one end of a car equipped with this improved trolley retriever; Fig. 2 is a central sectional view thereof showing the retriever in its normal position; Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the retriever in operative position; Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction ofthe arrow; Fi 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line '6-6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a perspective view ofthe operating platedetached; Fig. 8 is a smular view of the rope guide.

In the embodiment illustrated, a trolley retriever is shown comprising-a housing 1 having two sections 2 and 3, each of which is formed with a cut-out portion 4i for affording a passage way for a rope and having double beveled edges, as 5:

rthe section 2 is provided with an angular lsuare aperture 6 and rounded aperture 7 o the sections 2 and 3 of the housing has one-half 12 thereof made angular in cross section and the other half 14 made cylindrical, for a purpose to be described. The squared end of the shaft 10 is provided with a shoulder 11 arranged outside of the section 1 which is adapted to abut against said section and prevent longitudinal movement 'of said shaft in one direction and the other end of the shaft is provided with a nut 15 mounted on the screw-threaded end 13 thereof which holds said shaft in adjusted position within the housing. v v

A drum 1G is mounted in the 'housing 1 and is of a length slightly less than the length of the housing as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This drum 16 is provided with a centrally 4disposed inwardly extending web 17 having a laterally extending sleeve 18 at one side thereof adapted to rotate on the rounded portion 14 of the shaft 10. This drum 1G is also formed with a peripheral flange 19 and with an annular series of clutch teeth 20 carried by the web 17 on the side opposite the sleeve 18 and which constitute one member of a clutch. A sleeve 26 is mounted to slide on the angular portion 12 of the shaft 10 and is shaped to correspond with t-he shape of said angular. portieri to prevent turning of said sleeve on said shaft. A flange or shoulder 27 projects laterally from said sleeve 26 intermediately of its ends and is designed to form a support for the clutch member now to be described. This clutch member comprises an annular drum-like member 21 having teeth 22 formed on one edge thereof which are adapted to engage the teeth 20 of the drum web 1 7 when said member 21 is moved longitudinally in one direction. This drum-like-member 21 is provided on its inner face with an inwardly extending, centrally disposed annular web 23 arranged to encircle the sleeve 26 and spaced slightly therefrom. to adapt it to be readily turned withoutl engaging outer face with an annular inwardly opening pocket or socket member 25 which is adapted to fit over and engage the periph- 'ery of the annular llange or shoulder 27 carried by thel sleeve 26 and which forms a support for the clutch member 21 and permits said member to rotate thereon. The meinber 21 is provided on its periphery preferably at the edge opposite the teeth 22 with a series of radially extending teethy 24 adapted to engage a lug 46 on a plate 29 herein-A after described. f The sliding sleeve 26 is provided near its outer end with laterally extending oppositel'y disposed pins, as 28, for engageinentby a plate 29 hereinafter describe j A spiral spring 38 is secured at one end to the inner face of the drum 16 and its other end 40 is secured to the rounded portion 14 of the'shaft 10 preferably adjacent 'to the section 2 of the ousing l, the spring bein preferably adapted to exert a tension equa to one-half a pound and is designed for controlling the rotationl of' said drum. A similar spring 41 is secured4 at one end to the inner face of .the clutch inmber 21 and the other end thereof is secured to the sleeve 26 and is adapted to exert a tension approximately'equal to about nine pounds.

The plate 29 shown in detail in Fig. .7 is arranged adjacent the inner f ace of the section 3 and provided at its lower end with a f the sleeve 26 for a purpose to be described.

The longitudinally extendin slot 32 is arranged at the upper endl o said plate 29, near one side thereof and a transversely extending slot 33 is formed in said plate 29 at the up er. end thereof near its opposite side and a a ted to receive a rope uide to be described). This rope guide 34 s own in detail in Fig. 8 is provided with oppositelyl extending rounded arms 35 and 36 which project through tlie slots 32 and 33 in -the plate 29 andare adapted to operate said plate as will be hereinafter dtscribed. This guide 34 is provided with an a 'ertured headw37 s'et at an obli ue an le to t e body thereof and through w ich te operating rope 50 of the trolley is adapted to be passed, one end of said rope bein secured to the drum 16, said rope being aripted to'be wound on said drum.

The housing l is adapted to be mounted in one end of tlic'car, preferably by means of arms '44 and 45 attached tothe car and These slots 30 are adaptedv the drum 16 on the shaft 1() to cause said.

drum to take up all loose ro e dueto the adjusting or positioning ofte trolley (in 'its wire. Should a trolley suddenly jump its wire, the rope guide 34 will' be jerked slightly' upward and this upward movement will raise the sliding plate 29 and the slotted arms 31 thereof engaging the pins 28 of the sliding sleeve 26 will move said sleeve inwardly bringing the'teeth 2O of drum 16 intoengagement with the teeth 22 of the clutch 21 and' disengaging the pin 46 of plate 29 from the teeth 24 of the clutch member 21, as shown in Fig. 3. The result of this movement will be that the s ring 41 v'willexert its tension against the tro` ley pole and rotate the 'drum 16 on the 'shaft 10 thereby winding the rope of the trolleyand bringing said trolley into contact with or sli htly above the roof of the trolley car.

l1 `of the clutch mechanism of my improved trolley retriever with the exception of the rope guide on the sliding plate is mounted on the shaft 10 and inclosed by the drum 16 so that the same will not interfere with the winding of a trolley rope on the drum. This arrangement prevents the rope from becoming entangled with the clutch operating mechanism and assures a `uniform movement of my improved retriever under all circumstances. When the trolley is in its normal position, the ro e guide 34 will be positioned at right ang es to the sliding plate 29 and when in this position, it will force said slidinnr plate by j means of the arm 36 extending through the slot 33 downwardly on the shaft 10, thereby positively holding the clutch member 21 out of engagin position with the drum 16, as shown in ig. 2. When in its normal position, the arm 36 of the rope guide 34 will occupy the outer end of the horizontal slot 33 and one of the extensions 35 will occupy the lower part of the slot 32. As the trolle jumps the wire, the rope guide 34 wi l move upwardly and the arm 36 of said guide will occupy the inner end ofthe slot 33 and the pivot arm 35 will occupy the lower end of the slot 32 and as'the arms 35 are pivoted on the housin sections'2 and 3, the plate 29 will be move in a vertical position.

Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by, Letters-Patent is l. In a trolley retriever, a housing, a shaft extending through the walls ot the housing and secured therein, a drum rotatably mounted on the shaft, a rotary clutch mountled on the shaft and arranged to engage the line guide engaged with said vertically movi able member and having a head arranged at an oblique angle and provided with anaperture for the passage of the line therethrough and operable by an upward movement of the line to raise said member and move the clutch member into engagement with the drum.

3. In a trolley retriever, the combination of a housing, a shaft mounted in said housing, a drum rotatably mounted on Said shaft, a sleeve slidably mounted on said Shaft and provided with a laterally extending annular shoulder or flange, a projection extending laterally from said sleeve, a clutch rotatably mounted on said flange and adapted to be moved by said sleeve into engagement with the drum, a movable plate for engaging said sleeve, an arm extendin plate and having an obliquely, arranged slot for engagement with said lateral projection on the sleeve, a rope guide pivotally mounted in the housing and connected with said plate, a spring connected with saidy drum and with said shaft, anda spring connected withthe clutch and arranged to exert its tension on theJ drum when the clutch is engaged with said drum.

1l. In a trolley retriever, the combination of a housing, a shaft mounted against rotation within the walls ot said housing, a drum rotatably mounted `on said shaft and provided with clutch teeth, a longitudinally movable sleeve mounted against rotation onv laterally from said v said sha-tt and provided with a plurality ot laterally ext-ending lugs or projections, a clutch member supported by said sleeve and mounted to rota te relatively thereto, teeth on said clutch member adapted to engage the clutch teeth of the drum, a plate movable vertically in said housing and provided with arms having oblique slots arranged to engage the lugs of said sleeve for moving the clutch into and out of engagement with the clutch of the drum,va spring for controlling the movement of said drum; a spring for controlling the movement of the clutch and adapted to exert its tension on the drum when said clutch engages therewith, and a rope guide pivotally mounted on the housing and adapted to raise said plate.

5. In a trolley retriever, the combination of a housing, a, shaft extending through said housing and mount-ed against rotation in the walls thereof, al drum rotatably mounted on said shaft and provided with clutch teeth, a sleeve mounted to slide on said shaft and held against rotation relatively thereto, an

annular flange extending laterally ,trom said sleeve, a clutch member rotatably mounted on said flange and provided with teeth for engaging the teeth of the drum, radially extending teeth arranged on the periphery ot said clutch member, a vertically movable plate provided with a laterally extending stud for engagement with the radial teeth of said clutch member to hold it against rotation, means carried by said plate for engaging said sleeve to move the clutch member into and out of engagement with the drum,Y

and a rope guide pivotally mounted on the housing and adapted to raise said plate.

G. In a trolley retriever, a housing formed with a plurality of looped extensions, a plur rality of arms arranged to extend through said looped extensions and having means for connection with a car, and trolley controlling means arranged within said housing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES PALM.

Witnesses:

HARRY G. CHAPMAN, JOHN Hannon. 

